Ridge community raises thousands to support local comic shop
BY JESSICA PARKS
Kind-hearted Brooklynites
have raised thousands
of dollars for a beloved
Bay Ridge comic store that
fell behind on several months
of rent because of the statemandated
shutdowns of nonessential
businesses during
the novel coronavirus outbreak.
“I was very surprised
when I fi rst saw and was so
touched by all the support we
have been getting,” said Abdulilah
Esa, owner of Galaxy
Comics in Bay Ridge. “I would
like to thank the community
for all the support and all the
good comments we have been
receiving.”
Hoi Chen, a longtime customer
of the comic shop, created
the online fundraiser
on June 11 and set an ambitious
$29,000 goal — and has
since received over $8,500 in
donations in less than three
weeks.
“The store is a mom and
pop comic book shop in Bay
Ridge Brooklyn and the only
true surviving one,” wrote
Chen. “Galaxy Comics
26 COURIER LIFE, JULY 3-9, 2020
OUT OF THIS WORLD: Galaxy Comics in Bay Ridge has seen an outpouring of support from its community during
the pandemic. Google
would be grateful for all the
help it can get. Any amount is
greatly appreciated.”
The comic store owner
owes nearly $28,000 in back
rent on the Fifth Avenue
storefront between 68th
Street and Bay Ridge Avenue
— and, while he’s received
government money to cover
the cost of his employee’s salaries,
Esa hasn’t seen enough
help to pay his mounting operating
costs.
“We initially did get the
Paycheck Protection Program
loan,” Esa said. “But
it wasn’t much because I only
have two employees.”
Instead, his community
has stepped up and gone to
great lengths to ensure that
their beloved comic book
shop makes it through the
pandemic.
“We had customers that
wanted to help, so they said
they would come in and spend
money in the store,” Esa said.
“They were not looking for
something specifi c, only
with the intention to spend
money.”
The Sunset Park native
fi rst reopened his shop on
June 7 — after the city entered
into Phase One of its
reopening — and said he has
noticed a change in shopping
behavior as the pandemic
has discouraged many from
browsing without a specifi c
purchase in mind.
“You could say 90 percent
of the people that walked in
so far end up buying things,”
Esa said. “Unlike before,
we had a lot of walk-ins and
browsing and then maybe
someone buys something.”
Now, in Phase Two of the
city’s reopening, patrons
can shop inside non-essential
storefronts — which Esa
hopes will bring a muchneeded
infl ux of both visitors
and cash to his cherished
business.
In the meantime, the community
is continuing to rally
behind Esa and Galaxy Comics.
As of June 29, Chen’s Go-
FundMe was shared more
than 1,300 times.
BY BEN VERDE
No sleep ’till Book-lyn!
The Brooklyn Public Library
announced Thursday
that it will start the fi rst
phase of its reopening on July
13, allowing for grab-and-go
book service after over three
months of virtual-only services.
“While our virtual library
will continue to offer expanded
digital collections, we
know there is nothing quite
like the pleasure of grabbing
a new book in the summertime,”
said Linda Johnson,
CEO of the Brooklyn Public
Library, in a statement.
Library honchos say they
are still working out the kinks
of how grab-and-go will work
in each of their locations, but
say the goal is to be contactless.
“Our goal is to keep everybody
safe — that is our top priority,”
said library spokesperson
Fritzi Bodenheimer.
The Brooklyn library locations
that will reopen in July
are as follows:
Bay Ridge Library
Bushwick Library
Kings Highway Library
Central Library
New Lots Library
Flatbush Library
Red Hook Library
Under the rules of BPL’s
“Phase One,” library patrons
can pick up book orders made
online or over the phone in a
small section of the library,
and must leave once they receive
their order. Browsing,
in-person reference, and computer
use is still prohibited
and book-worms must wear
face coverings and maintain
a distance from other patrons,
according to the library.
Library locations will be
open 10 am to 4 pm Monday,
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday,
and 1 pm to 7 pm Tuesday
and Thursday.
Library offi cials say they
plan on opening more locations
soon but offered no precise
timeline for when the
next stages of reopening will
take place.
“We know how important
it is to open our physical locations,”
said Anthony Marx,
president of New York’s library
system. “This fi rst
group of branches is only the
fi rst step in that plan, but an
important one. We hope to
safely open more locations
soon.”
Flying in to the rescue!
Brooklyn Public Library set to reopen
select branches for grab-and-go books
BROOKLYN
Turning the page
PICK ME UP: The library will welcome book-lovers for grab and go pickup
after shuttering its brick-and-mortar locations in March.
Photo by Kevin Duggan